Republican Tom Gann

Candidate for Oklahoma House District 8

Only One Candidate Has Given to Obama

About Tom Gann

Tom with wife Debbie. They appear here with Rosie the dog at their acerage north of Inola.

Inola Republican Tom Gann and his wife of 39 years, Debbie Chapman Gann, are parents of three children and grandparents of seven.

He was born in Wagoner and grew up in Tahlequah where he later graduated from N.S.U.

Tom and Debbie are members of Eastland Baptist Church and were instrumental in forming a Crisis Pregnancy Center and promoted Abstinence Education.

A small government conservative, Tom has a lifetime of experience as a small businessman.

In 1984, he started his first small business in Ft. Gibson selling gas and groceries to the local community. The business grew to twelve employees until it was sold in 1996.

In addition to his own business, Tom developed other commercial properties which brought new restaurants and an auto repair business into the community.

Over the years, Tom has responded to the call to defend our values and principles.

He served five years on the Ft. Gibson School Board where he stood firm against a top down, socialist, federal takeover of public education known as Outcomes Based Education. He successfully brought an end to the pilot program which had forced the school district to participate in the federal effort.

This experience led Tom to challenge a Democrat politician for State Senate District 3. Tom won 41% of the vote even though Democrats outnumbered Republicans by a three to one ratio.

Tom has served as a Republican State Committeeman and as a past member of the party's platform committee.

Debbie, who has a degree in Education, currently volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), and served as a Keating administration appointee on the Oklahoma’s Abstinence Education Council.

Tom Gann files for re-election to the House of Representatives in District 8.

April 13th, 2018

Tom Gann campaigned for the OK 8th House seat back in 2016 and heard two things from the voters. They said, “…do what you say you will do and do not go to Oklahoma City and raise a bunch of taxes.”

He has refused to be a part of the tax and spend crowd at the state capitol and has not voted to raise taxes on the hard-working citizens of the 8th House District.

Tom pledged to the voters to not take lobbyist money and vote on principle. He has kept his word!

Since elected, Gann has challenged the overreach of state government by opposing regressive taxation to challenging the ruling of unelected boards over locally elected officials.

Tom’s experience in his professional career as an auditor landed him a seat on the Special Investigative Committee to investigate the fraud, waste and abuse of tax-payer dollars in the State Department of Health. He witnessed first hand the corruption and waste in state government and demanded answers of officials why 30 million dollars was misappropriated from accounts in the Oklahoma Health Department.

Thinking outside the box is rare in government, and when Gann filed HB3440 to use existing revenues generated by the 2.4 billion dollar School Land Fund for teacher compensation, he made it clear that state government needs to use the money it has before it asks more from the taxpayer.

Gann serves as vice-chair of the Government Modernization Committee, he authored a bill and won approval for HB1189 to modernize and cut the cost of government pertaining to record storage.

Oklahoma’s premier gun rights organization, OK2A, gave Gann an A rating for his support and defense of the rights of citizens to keep and bear arms. Gann co-authored multiple bills defending gun ownership.

Finally, Gann will always support legislative measures that will support life of the unborn.

As the election season draws near, Gann stated , “I am excited to get back into the district to see the many friends that we made on the campaign trail.”

Gann has appreciated the opportunity to serve you as your State Representative during the past 2 years. It will be an honor for him to continue to do so.

Endorsements of Tom Gann

Rep. Tom Gann has been endorsed by The National Rifle Association, Oklahomans for Life, the Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association, the Oklahoma Conservative PAC, the Oklahoma Republican Assemblies and Oklahoma's former U.S. Senator Tom Coburn.

Gann Comments on Signing of Ten Commandments Bill

June 12, 2018

Rep. Gann with David Barton at the Signing of the Ten Commandments Bill.

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Tom Gann today attended the governor’s ceremonial bill signing of House Bill 2177, which will allow the display of the Ten Commandments in state buildings, public schools or on other public property alongside other historically significant founding documents such as the U.S. or Oklahoma Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Magna Carta or others.

Gann was a co-author of the bill.

“Even just a cursory reading of our nation’s founding fathers reveals that they drew heavily upon the influence of the Ten Commandments when shaping our nation’s system of laws,” said Gann, R-Inola. “To allow the display of the Ten Commandments is not an endorsement of a particular religion favored by the state, but an accurate portrayal of an influence that helped shape the history of our great nation.”

Gann pointed out that the Ten Commandments are displayed in the U.S. Capitol, the National Archives, in the U.S. Supreme Court, in many state capitols and in scores of other Legislatures, courthouses and other public buildings across America.

Republican Tom Gann's Platform

As State Representative, Tom Gann has:

Defended Faith, Freedom, Traditional Values and the Right-to-Life;

Tom believes that faith and freedom go hand in hand and we can’t have one without the other. He believes, as did our nation’s founders, that God is above all, cares about and is involved in the affairs of men.

"God who gave us life gave us liberty.”-President Thomas Jefferson

Tom supports a traditional view of marriage; a loving and life-long covenant between one man and one woman made before God. Government cannot redefine the institution of marriage and when it attempts to do so it places our nation's very foundation at jeopardy.

Children are a gift from God and as State Representative, Tom will aggressively defend the sanctity and dignity of human life.

“We fear the government may be powerful enough to destroy our families; we know that government is not powerful enough to replace them.” - President Ronald Reagan

Fought for a Smaller, Limited Government;

Tom believes in the Constitution. We are a nation of laws and not of men. He will lead the effort to return to a more limited state government. He will advocate states' rights; insist on a return to the Constitutional balance between federal and state government; oppose federal overreaches such as Obamacare; and stand in opposition to the federal government's attempts to regulate our local waterways and environment which could prove so costly to area residents.

Tom addresses his employees and the public at the Fort Gibson store he opened in 1984. Gann's experience as a businessman will guide his tenure as State Representative.

Defended the Business Owners of Mayes, Rogers and Wagoner Counties;

As a small businessman, Tom knows that government does not create wealth, the people do. It is only when a person has the freedom to benefit and prosper through his or her own efforts that we realize the creativity and innovation to drive our economy to the benefit of all. Tom will oppose increased state government regulation and taxation of business and will work to repeal the antiquated laws which currently inhibit growth for area business owners.

Opposed Federal and State Takeovers of Education; and

As a school board member, Tom successfully put a stop to district participation in the federal government's Outcomes Based Education (OBE) program. As State Representative, he will continue to oppose federal intervention in education and will oppose Common Core and its various derivatives. Tom will advocate for local control and will oppose state mandates which tie the hands of local parents and teachers.

As a rural property owner, Tom knows first hand the importance of the 2nd amendment and our God-given right to self defense. He is a leading advocate for 2nd Amendment and other liberties granted by the Bill of Rights.